


arose by any other name

by braigwen_s



Category: MASH (TV)
Genre: Ambiguously Trans Padre, Background Queer Characters, Come on. Come on. 'Francis' is unisex., Gen, Introspection, Other, Roman Catholicism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23064040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braigwen_s/pseuds/braigwen_s
Summary: Francis John Patrick has heard stories that one's Christian names - the names of the saints one has taken - impact one's life.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	arose by any other name

A Catholic’s given and taken names, their Christian names, are traditionally those of saints. There is a good reason for this: a saint you are named after, or that you have named yourself after, is your patron. They will specifically watch over you - you can still pray to any saints, of course, as well as God Himself and Mother Mary, but the ones whose names you bear are your first line of defence. There are many stories that of the other patronages - the traditional, all-rounder ones, like of vocations or problems or body parts - of one’s saint being uncannily relevant to one’s life. Francis John Patrick was named once by a dad (the term used solely to distinguish that man, sinner as he was, from brother priests) still smelling of whiskey on the morning the parish priest almost cracked his infant skull against the font, and twice more by his own self (quiet but certain, kneeling and breathing in incense). Despite this, he would not be swift to disbelieve the stories.

Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226, lived in Italy but was a citizen of Heaven) is the patron of birds and animals. He had originally thought this would be, as his first name, the most significant of his names, but Korea is no place for bird nor animal, and the most use he tends to get from it answering rollcalls and blessing whatever creature Radar has taken under his wing - heh, ‘wing,’ like a bird’s wing - today. In addition, Francis, merely by being the name his dad (again, let him stress, this term is used  only to distinguish him from priest fathers) gave him, is not his favored name. However, he’s fond enough of the saint himself, humble and broken as he is. Anyway. One name out of three down, no evidence this far for the theory, or at least none he would attest to.

His next name, though, is the kicker. His next name has not only saved his skin, but it has, he believes, saved the skin of many others too. Saint John of God (1495-1550, lived in Portugal but was a citizen of Heaven) is the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the dying. Working in a M*A*S*H unit, it’s impossible to downplay its significance. Zechariah had proclaimed “his name is John,” and while he said his own name for himself on his confirmation day, this has become one of the most-read passages in his small personal bible.  _ Saint John, Saint John _ , he has prayed more times than he can count,  _ we’re a hospital don’t let them shell us we’re a hospital a hospital _ .  _ Saint John of God beloved by Him, please strengthen our nurses, just help them make it through this shift _ .  _ Saint John, may this man’s death not be painful, may his soul dwell with the righteous, he has lived his purgatory here _ .

Also, there’s Saint John the apostle (first century AD, lived in the Roman Empire but was a citizen of Heaven) who has too many patronages to count, but is known in his Gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. It’s much less a daily invocation than John of God, and far be it from him to “out,” as the term seems to be, his fellow man - or woman, sometimes - but, well, sometimes when Klinger passes by, or Hawkeye is almost not discreet enough with Trapper John or, later, other men, he’ll breathe a request for protection. It’s a fondly amused sort of thing, more often than not, _ a Saint John the Evangelist, keep Klinger and his ridiculous pink hat today _ . Sometimes it’s more serious, when the camp hears word of M.P.s and arrests and dishonorable discharges. But, again, John of God is the main use that he gets from his second name.

Saint Patrick (fifth century, lived in Ireland but was a citizen of Heaven) is the patron saint of Ireland, and a name he took on when he was young and foolish, and the less he says of that, the better. He’s certainly never gotten to Ireland, and somehow he doesn’t think he ever shall. He’s not even sure he’ll make it back to the States, if-not-when this war - it _ is _ a war, it doesn’t matter what they call it - ends. He’ll ask you not to question that name further.

What was it - oh yes, the stories. Well, being a John in Korea is something he might, perhaps, term a miracle. He cannot say he disbelieves them. He isn’t sure that he believes them, but he definitely doesn’t  _ dis _ believe it. One name out of three has been accurate, perhaps, but the one in question is sure an ace.


End file.
